PROMOTING PUBLIC
SAFETY
Through Prevention, Compassion, and Accountability
The Morales Administration is dedicated to taking a community-centered approach to public safety that combines effective emergency response, violence prevention, accountability, and restorative practices.
Public safety is strongest when our neighbors trust their institutions, when first responders have the resources they need, and when government addresses the root causes of instability, including housing insecurity, untreated mental health challenges, substance use disorders, and poverty.
Appointing a Public
Safety Commissioner
For years, Providence has gone without a Public Safety Commissioner, leaving our public safety agencies without the unified leadership needed to effectively coordinate citywide strategy. The Morales Administration will appoint a Public Safety Commissioner following community feedback and guidance.
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The Public Safety Commissioner will be responsible for improving collaboration among the Providence Fire Department, the Providence Police Department, the Providence Emergency Management Agency (PEMA), and the Providence External Review Authority (PERA) to ensure a more coordinated, transparent, and effective public safety system.
The Public Safety Commissioner will work closely with department leadership to identify staffing and training needs, improve emergency preparedness, strengthen interagency communication, and develop long-term strategies to address public safety challenges. The Commissioner will also coordinate with community organizations, neighborhood leaders, schools, and social service agencies to ensure that public safety efforts extend beyond traditional law enforcement and include prevention, intervention, and support services. In addition, the Commissioner will support the city’s effort to protect our immigrant community and help ensure that all our neighbors can report crimes, seek emergency assistance, and engage with city services without fear.
Social Services and
Case Management
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Every day, our neighbors are experiencing crises related to mental health, substance use, homelessness, trauma, and poverty that cannot be solved through punitive enforcement. Too often, the Smiley Administration has directed police officers to respond to situations that would be better addressed by trained social service and peer professionals equipped to provide care, support, and intervention.
The Morales Administration will take a compassionate, comprehensive approach to address our city’s homelessness crisis and support our neighbors in need. In partnership with community organizations like Amos House, Better Lives RI, Project Weber/Renew, and Matthewson Street Church, the Morales Administration will enter annual cost-sharing agreements to contract social workers, case managers, and outreach teams. In addition, City Hall will be a dependable partner that provides these agencies with technical support as they apply for external grants to sustainably fund these critical positions. These social service professionals will help de-escalate crises and provide ongoing support to our most vulnerable neighbors through referrals to housing, behavioral health services, and substance use counseling.
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Based on feedback from residents, neighborhood associations, businesses, and community organizations, the Morales Administration will place outreach teams in priority areas where there is a demonstrated need for case management support, including: Kennedy Plaza, Cranston Street, Olneyville Square, Broad Street, Chalkstone Avenue, and Branch Avenue. By establishing a consistent presence of social support services across Providence, the city will respond more effectively to community concerns while building trust and strengthening relationships with neighbors.
Public Safety
Departments
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Our city services should reflect the communities they serve and prioritize training that will enhance the effectiveness of our first responders. That is why the Morales Administration will prioritize improving the quality of emergency dispatch services by expanding language accessibility and client-service training to ensure every neighbor receives respectful, effective, and culturally competent assistance during emergencies and neighborhood concerns.
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Over the next several years, the Providence Police Department is expected to experience a significant wave of retirements. Rather than relying heavily on overtime or lateral transfers, the Morales Administration will maintain current staffing levels by recruiting aspiring officers who are invested in serving our neighbors in Providence. Recruitment efforts will prioritize Providence residents and multilingual applicants through a hiring preference point system modeled after successful programs in other municipalities, like Central Falls. The Morales Administration will build a department that is better equipped to serve our diverse community while maintaining safe staffing levels that prevent first responder burnout, excessive caseloads, and costly overtime.
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As a State Representative, David proudly introduced legislation to support Central High School’s Career and Technical Education Firefighter Programand will continue to champion this program as Mayor. In coordination with PPSD and Providence Fire, the Morales Administration will seek state aid from the RI Department of Education to further support the CTE Firefighter Program. By investing in local talent and creating opportunities for Providence residents to serve their community, we will strengthen the long-term stability of our departments while building a workforce that reflects Providence.
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Our firefighters deserve facilities that match the professionalism and dedication they bring to the job every day. The Morales Administration will listen to and work closely with our firefighters to identify fire stations in need of repairs, renovations, and capital improvements. By coordinating with the Department of Public Property, the Morales Administration will pursue the resources necessary to modernize aging facilities, improve working conditions, and ensure every firefighter has the tools and infrastructure needed to keep Providence safe.
Review, Oversight, and
Accountability
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As the civilian oversight body that investigates allegations of police misconduct and recommends policy proposals for the city to adopt around public safety, the Providence External Review Authority (PERA) is a critical agency. Yet, under the Smiley Administration, PERA’s policy recommendations have largely been ignored and the department’s budget has been slashed by nearly 30%. This is unacceptable and undermines efforts to improve trust between our communities and public safety.
The Morales Administration will work with the City Council and the Public Safety Commissioner to ensure PERA’s policy recommendations are carefully considered and, if deemed beneficial, adopted through regulation or ordinance. Furthermore, the Morales Administration will work towards restoring PERA’s budget cuts and ensure the agency has the resources to be further accessible to our neighbors in Providence.
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In 2022, the city of Providence entered a costly contract that greatly expanded federal capabilities of surveillance. Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs or LPRs) are AI-powered cameras that capture and analyze images of all passing vehicles, storing details like your car's location, date, and time. Today, there are 60 flock cameras across our city and these cameras have been proven to be expensive, costing the city $160,000 yearly. In 2025, the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island (ACLU) raised serious concerns that these cameras could be used to map anyone’s whereabouts throughout their day.
Across the country, there have been confirmed cases of Flock sharing local data and footage with unauthorized third parties, including Trump Administration agencies like ICE. This is despite Flock claiming that local data would not be shared or used for coordinated efforts around immigration enforcement. In response, dozens of municipalities have ended their contracts with Flock.
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Building off of the Providence City Council’s ordinance to strengthen personal data privacy protections with Flock, the Morales Administration will direct the City of Providence’s Internal Auditor to audit Providence's existing agreement with Flock along with an independent audit of Providence Police and partner agencies use of Flock cameras. If warrantless searches or unauthorized data sharing is uncovered, David will work to terminate Providence’s existing agreement with cause (which would shield the city from having to pay early termination liability).
Violence Prevention
Services for All
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In Rhode Island, nearly one in two residents will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Behind those statistics are our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family members, people who are forced to make impossible choices between their safety and having a place to call home. No one should ever have to remain in an abusive situation because they have nowhere else to go.
With housing being one of the biggest barriers survivors face when trying to leave abuse, the Morales Administration will pursue a municipal land acquisition bond and partner with organizations like Sojourner House to acquire multifamily properties and create safe, stable transitional housing for survivors and their families. Every survivor and their family deserves a safe place to heal, the support to regain their independence, and the dignity of knowing their city will stand beside them.
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Our young people deserve safe, structured, and community-centered opportunities during after-school and evening hours. The Morales Administration will coordinate with the Department of Recreation and the Community Libraries of Providence to expand operating hours and provide youth with safe spaces for mentorship, academics, athletics, and personal growth. In collaboration with local artists and organizations, our recreation centers will be spaces for Providence youth to engage in sports, arts, and theatre.
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The Morales Administration will also prioritize the reformation and revitalization of the city’s Midnight Basketball League. By working closely with coaches, educators, families, community organizations, and youth, Providence will create programs that reduce youth violence, promote positive development, and ensure that every young person has access to meaningful recreational opportunities and support systems.